WHAT INTER AND MILAN’S SAN SIRO TAKEOVER MEANS FOR ITALIAN FOOTBALL
Inter and AC Milan have officially purchased the San Siro, paving the way for its demolition. The clubs will build a new €1.2 billion, 71,500-seat stadium, aiming for completion by Euro 2032.
Inter and AC Milan complete purchase of San Siro - COURTESY/PHOTO
On Wednesday, Inter Milan and AC Milan completed the purchase of the legendary San Siro, which is scheduled to be demolished, bringing them one step closer to building their own stadium.
The announcement of "the signing of the deed of sale with the Municipality of Milan" was made by the two Serie A clubs just over a month after the city gave its approval for the project.
One of the most recognisable stadiums in the world, San Siro is known as "football's La Scala." It has been the home of Inter and AC Milan for a long time; the two teams have won ten European titles between them.
After more than 11 hours of discussion and a close vote at Milan city hall early on September 30, Inter and AC Milan were approved to buy the land for 197 million euros ($231 million).
A public building protection order for the second layer of San Siro would have taken effect if the sale had not been finished by Monday of next week.
The two clubs may now move on with a project that will drastically transform a little over 28 hectares (70 acres) in a crowded neighbourhood in Milan's western suburbs. The project is estimated to cost roughly 1.2 billion euros.
Just west of the existing stadium, which will remain in use until the new one is finished, a contemporary 71,500-seat arena will be constructed on land that is currently utilised for public parks and matchday parking.
In order to provide additional parks, business space, and entertainment facilities, the San Siro will be nearly completely demolished once the new ground is built. Foster and Partners and MANICA are the architectural firms that will design all of this.
The teams are hopeful that the new stadium will be completed in time for Euro 2032, which Italy and Turkey will co-host.
By October of the following year, Italy's football federation must inform UEFA, the European regulatory body, of its five official stadium selections for the competition. At that time, it can propose new sites or ones that require renovation, provided that construction starts by March 2027.
'FULL OF EMOTIONS’ — LUIS DíAZ REACTS TO ACHRAF HAKIMI TACKLE INCIDENT
Bayern's Luis Díaz wishes PSG's Achraf Hakimi a "speedy recovery" after a red-card tackle injured the defender. Díaz scored twice in the 2-1 win but will miss the next UCL match vs Arsenal.
Luis Diaz was sent off for his challenge on Achraf Hakimi - COURTESY/PHOTO
Luis Díaz wished Achraf Hakimi, the Moroccan defender for Paris Saint-Germain, a "speedy recovery" on Wednesday following a tackle that hurt his opponent and resulted in the Bayern Munich winger being sent off during their Champions League encounter.
In Tuesday's 2-1 victory over PSG, Díaz scored both goals, marking Bayern's 16th straight win across all competitions. However, he was dismissed shortly before halftime for a careless tackle on Hakimi.
Hakimi needed to have his left leg replaced since it seemed to get trapped when he fell. The evening was filled with emotion. We are constantly reminded by football that anything can happen in ninety minutes, both good and bad. "I was proud of my teammates' amazing efforts, but I was sad that I could not finish the game with them," Díaz wrote on Instagram. "I hope Hakimi gets back on the field as soon as possible."
The duration of Hakimi's absence has not yet been announced by PSG. The Moroccan international has started all but two of his games this season across all competitions and was instrumental in his team's 2025 Champions League victory.
Díaz, who has scored 10 goals in his first 16 appearances for the German champions, has been equally significant for Bayern. Due to his red card, he will not play in the Champions League encounter against Arsenal on November 26.
ABSOLUTELY GUTTED’ — ATLETICO STAR LE NORMAND OUT FOR REST OF THE YEAR
Atletico Madrid's key defender Robin Le Normand is set to miss the rest of 2025 with a knee injury. The Spanish international is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks, a major blow for Diego Simeone's side.
Le Normand's Season Ends With Knee Setback - Image via RTVE
Robin Le Normand, a vital central defender for Atletico Madrid, is expected to miss time due to a knee injury sustained against Union St. Gilloise. Le Normand will not seem to be operating again until 2026.
During Atletico's 3-1 victory at the Metropolitano on Tuesday, the Spain international was taken down halfway through the first half. After twenty-five minutes, Jose Maria Gimenez took his seat. Diego Simeone told MD he looked okay after the game, but it looks like he will be sidelined for a while.
It seems improbable that Le Normand will return in 2025.
On Wednesday afternoon, Atletico acknowledged the injury, stating that neither his ligaments nor his meniscus had been affected. Le Normand will be sidelined for six to eight weeks, according to Diario AS. Given that Atletico's last game is scheduled for December 20 or 21, it is likely that he will not be back before 2026.
He would be out for nine games in all, including a match against Inter on November 26, a trip to Barcelona on December 2, and an Athletic Club match at San Mames four days later. Clement Lenglet, Gimenez, and David Hancko are the primary choices to play in central defence for the remaining games against Levante (H), Getafe (A), Real Oviedo (H), PSV Eindhoven (A), Valencia (H), and Girona (A).
Simeone on the terrifying finale of the USG victory: "It was difficult."
When the ball dropped to Louis Patris alone in the six-yard box in stoppage time, with the opportunity to make it 2-2, Le Normand was not on the field. Diego Simeone was questioned over his team's "struggles" in defeating the Belgian league leaders.
We were aware that the contest would be challenging and intricate. They made a strong start against Inter in Eindhoven, leading 3-0, and Inter was unable to rally until they had a set piece. We handled that circumstance today, and as the game progressed, we got better, just like we did against Sevilla. Their counterattacks generated danger, and their defensive work made it hard for us to find space.
Julian's skill as a striker is demonstrated by the first goal, which was the result of a fantastic attacking movement and a challenging touch that he completed. We performed better and got closer to the game we intended to play in the second half. We had more control over the game, and they were dropping farther. Then came the second goal, which they scored against us after we had a chance to save a free kick. Fortunately, it ended up being 3-1, but we went into that risky phase when it could have been 2-2.